A new trip up the learning curve - Judging the Opus 2014 Outdoor Painting Challenge

Opus Art Supplies has grown a great outdoor painting event over the past few years encouraging the public to come out and celebrate the art of plein air painting across BC

 This year I was asked to judge the event after being a previous participant ..

 It was an interesting collaborative process,  and I was judging in the esteemed company of plein air artist extraordinaire Gaye Adams and fellow artist Eishe .

As the OPUS website describes, it was a highly successful day.... Http://www.opusartsupplies.com/opc2014

I was at the downtown Vancouver store...with a great variety of styles and subject matter. In particular, the downtown store has a particularly strong "graphic design" personality... All ages, all styles, a festive atmosphere all in all!

 

It was very rewarding to make the transition from "participant" to "evaluator" in an official capacity...

unofficially as artists we are constantly in the business of "judging" our work and learning from others... just a different trip up the learning curve

 

 

 many thanks to the OPUS team for a great event 

 

ps for great plein-air tips, check out Gaye's video on plein air painting on the OPUS web site

 

 

 

ART BATTLE #70.... here I come!

Upcoming next week on Tuesday October 8th...ART BATTLE #70

This is a series of live art events ... held at various venues across the country!

I will be competing at this event where 9 artists have 20 minutes to complete an 18 x 24 piece... winner of round one and round two go on to paint a larger 24 x 36 canvas

it is going to be fun and terrifying at the same time!

check out these details

https://www.facebook.com/events/330004670478676/

hope to see you there!

A fall showing at the Omega Gallery in Vancouver

My work will be part of a fall group show at the Omega Gallery commencing October 5th until November 16th.. I will have four pieces in a range of sizes .. all landscapes.. from whistler, desolation sound,  and saltspring .

feel free to drop by the gallery in person... or check out the show online after  October 5th

www.Omegagallery.ca

( for previous summer show works check out

www.omegagallery.ca/july2013.html#SETO)

thanks to Omega for their support!

Federation of Cdn Artist Whistler Plein Air workshop

wow.. just finished an amazing week of plein air at whistler...

the weather cooperated and we had a wonderful mix of venues.. from Pemberton farms to Green Lake to village architecture to the stunning mountain peaks at the top of whistler blackcomb...

some great instruction during the week... values and values and values!

a few of my efforts are shown below...

first from the peak of whistler...

as an intro at Green Lake I did a quick colour study first to experiment with  a palette... ( on the right below)  then tried to capture the dramatic changing sky ( on the left)

really enjoyed the week! the smile at the top says it all!

From piano to art... My first art teaching at Whistler

Inspired by all of my teachers I conducted my first art class at whistler this summer

We improvised in my studio and had an enthusiastic group of six ..

first we experimented with paint just playing with brushwork forming clouds ... then we moved on to a typical mountain and water landscape...  this was an experiment and we worked in stages...  a new experience for most... great to combine friendship and food and  fun!

at work in the studio...

and smiling students showing end of day results..

.looking forward to more sessions!

A new painting experiment - PETS.....

My love affair with my sister's dog Rufus kicked off some interesting experimenting this summer...

Rufus was my first Pet love... just small 9 x 12 pieces

A few pets of my friends followed...  Hua Hua,

 and Roxy

 

I find myself staring at dogs in elevators now... always looking for good subject matter!

Summer Plein Air painting in Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver

On a gorgeous summer day Janice Robertson organized a group to paint outdoors at Whytecliff Park in west Vancouver... a great plein-air day... really hot so the paint on the palette dried super quickly!

I painted the view shown in this photo and ended up with this beach scene...( basically I cropped and  focused on  the top part of the  scene)

another view of my easel with a different rock... a fellow appeared on the rock suddenly and I discovered an instant focal point....  this is a work in progress!